Changes

He lectures to adult and student audiences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the hypothetical shapes of their bodies.  A frequent cruise ship lecturer, he was selected by Royal Cruise Lines to be their shipboard lecturer on the high seas during the 1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, and was the first University of Illinois professor selected to be a professor on the Institute of Shipboard Education's (ISE) Semester at Sea program,<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2; http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=4005</ref> teaching courses on astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the fall semester of 1996.  Among his popular writings on astronomy<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-20/news/0401200115_1_communication-satellites-mars-initiative-astronomy</ref><ref>http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?30437-Benefits-Of-A-Mission-To-Mars</ref> and public presentations, he has been the featured speaker at the meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association and was the keynote speaker for Chicago's Adler Planetarium on the occasion of the dedication of their new wing.

He lectures to adult and student audiences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the hypothetical shapes of their bodies.  A frequent cruise ship lecturer, he was selected by Royal Cruise Lines to be their shipboard lecturer on the high seas during the 1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, and was the first University of Illinois professor selected to be a professor on the Institute of Shipboard Education's (ISE) Semester at Sea program,<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2; http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=4005</ref> teaching courses on astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the fall semester of 1996.  Among his popular writings on astronomy<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-20/news/0401200115_1_communication-satellites-mars-initiative-astronomy</ref><ref>http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?30437-Benefits-Of-A-Mission-To-Mars</ref> and public presentations, he has been the featured speaker at the meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association and was the keynote speaker for Chicago's Adler Planetarium on the occasion of the dedication of their new wing.

Unlike many in society who were influenced and aided by family members in achieving success in given fields, Golden is entirely a self-made man.  No one in either his maternal or paternal extended families have matriculated at an Ivy League college, earned a Ph.D, nor have had professional careers as an actor, stand-up comedian, playwright, political cartoonist, magazine editor, non-fiction writer, software developer, scientist, or professor.  His identical twin brother and he are the only professional musicians in the extended families.<ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref><ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref>

Unlike many in society who were influenced and aided by family members in achieving success in given fields, Golden is entirely a self-made man.  No one in either his maternal or paternal extended families have matriculated at an Ivy League college, earned a Ph.D, nor have had professional careers as an actor, stand-up comedian, playwright, political cartoonist, magazine editor, non-fiction writer, software developer, scientist, or professor.  His identical twin brother and he are the only professional musicians in the extended families.<ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref><ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref>

===Statewide and National===

===Statewide and National===

His political candidacies for U.S. Congress and State Representative<ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16936&WhenStart=2011-08-06+12%3A51%3A32</ref> using the nickname "Cut the Taxes" have led to court actions,<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/773242/posts</ref><ref>(2002), Mission:  Fool voters (editorial), ''Chicago Tribune'', January 18, p. 18 </ref><ref> (1996) “Cut taxing districts,” ''Berwyn Life'' October 9, p. 22 </ref><ref> http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1446</ref><ref>http://ddd-hph.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/newshph?a=d&d=HPH19980107.2.3&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=00-00-0000-99-99-9999--20--1----Sen.+Obama-all</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-09-18/news/0209180186_1_ballots-fractional-jagielski </ref><ref> http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/10-30-2002/Golden_wins_Cut-The-Taxes_suit,_sues_again_</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-16/news/0210160202_1_blagojevich-spokesman-doug-scofield-illinois-state-board </ref><ref>Zorn, Eric. (1995) This candidate is a Cut the Taxes above the rest,  ''Chicago Tribune'' (Metrowest), October 3,  p. 1; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr </ref><ref>http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actuarial_discussion_forum/showthread.php?p=136091</ref><ref>www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1110F700ED5B9A50.html</ref>  a re-writing of Illinois election law concerning allowable names on the ballot<ref>http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0428ham005&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=&DocNum=0428&GAID=3&Session= </ref><ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e)</ref> <ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030127_1_orr-slogans-78th-district</ref><ref> Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and  River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37 </ref> propagated throughout the state of Illinois in election guides for candidates,<ref>www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2012/2012CanGuide.pdf</ref><ref>www.elections.il.gov/downloads/electioninformationcourth/pdf/2011canguide.pdf </ref>  lengthy discussions in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on election law<ref> www.iicle.com </ref>  which is on display in courthouses in the state of Illinois, scholarly studies on election law and ballot access, <ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~kimballd/illinois.pdf</ref>  and rewriting of election law in other states. <ref>law.onecle.com/texas/election/52.031.00.html</ref> In addition, in another part of the revised election law, the Golden Rule, for the first time in Illinois history, allows any election official whatsoever, state as well as local, to extend their previous ministerial powers beyond mere  printing of the ballot to actually removing slogans from ballot names.<ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (f)</ref>  These cases in election law and the revised Illinois election law statutes have been cited repeatedly in jurisdictions throughout the country.

His political candidacies for U.S. Congress<ref>(1996) Kass, John, “Nothing dull about 7th race – U.S. House contest full of controversy,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 8, Section 2, p. 1</ref> and State Representative<ref>(1992) Zorn, Eric, “But Yakov seems so, so . . . judicial,” ‘’Chicago Tribune’’, March 10, Section 2, p. 1</ref><ref>(1996) Montgomery, Susan, “GOP slates Golden to run for state rep,” ''Oak Leaves'', July 3, p. 10</ref><ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16936&WhenStart=2011-08-06+12%3A51%3A32</ref> using the nickname "Cut the Taxes" have led to court actions,<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/773242/posts</ref><ref>(2002), Mission:  Fool voters (editorial), ''Chicago Tribune'', January 18, p. 18 </ref><ref> (1996) “Cut taxing districts,” ''Berwyn Life'' October 9, p. 22 </ref><ref> http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1446</ref><ref>http://ddd-hph.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/newshph?a=d&d=HPH19980107.2.3&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=00-00-0000-99-99-9999--20--1----Sen.+Obama-all</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-09-18/news/0209180186_1_ballots-fractional-jagielski </ref><ref> http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/10-30-2002/Golden_wins_Cut-The-Taxes_suit,_sues_again_</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-16/news/0210160202_1_blagojevich-spokesman-doug-scofield-illinois-state-board </ref><ref>Zorn, Eric. (1995) This candidate is a Cut the Taxes above the rest,  ''Chicago Tribune'' (Metrowest), October 3,  p. 1; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr </ref><ref>http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actuarial_discussion_forum/showthread.php?p=136091</ref><ref>www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1110F700ED5B9A50.html</ref><ref> (1996) Hevrkejs, Judy and Conklin, Mike, “Cutting Les,” ‘‘Chicago Tribune’’, March 12, p. 2</ref><ref> (1996) “ ‘Cut the Taxes’ cut from GOP ballot,” ‘’West Suburban Post’’, March 8, p. 5</ref>  a re-writing of Illinois election law concerning allowable names on the ballot<ref>http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0428ham005&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=&DocNum=0428&GAID=3&Session= </ref><ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e)</ref> <ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030127_1_orr-slogans-78th-district</ref><ref> Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and  River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37 </ref> propagated throughout the state of Illinois in election guides for candidates,<ref>www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2012/2012CanGuide.pdf</ref><ref>www.elections.il.gov/downloads/electioninformationcourth/pdf/2011canguide.pdf </ref>  lengthy discussions in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on election law<ref> www.iicle.com </ref>  which is on display in courthouses in the state of Illinois, scholarly studies on election law and ballot access, <ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~kimballd/illinois.pdf</ref>  and rewriting of election law in other states. <ref>law.onecle.com/texas/election/52.031.00.html</ref> In addition, in another part of the revised election law, the Golden Rule, for the first time in Illinois history, allows any election official whatsoever, state as well as local, to extend their previous ministerial powers beyond mere  printing of the ballot to actually removing slogans from ballot names.<ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (f)</ref>  These cases in election law and the revised Illinois election law statutes have been cited repeatedly in jurisdictions throughout the country.

In 2008, he was the statewide spokesman and one of three state-wide coordinators for the group seeking to convene an Illinois Constitutional Convention.<ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, <i>Rockford Register Star</i>, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref><ref>(2008) Wilson, Doug, Business group says constitutional convention would be too costly, risky, <i>Quincy Herald-Whig</i>, July 15</ref><ref>www.chicagogop.com/home/blogger/drlesmgolden/</ref>  He wrote the field guide for campaign workers which was used in other states also seeking to convene constitutional conventions.  He was selected to be a charter member of the board of the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) in 1994.

In 2008, he was the statewide spokesman and one of three state-wide coordinators for the group seeking to convene an Illinois Constitutional Convention.<ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, <i>Rockford Register Star</i>, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref><ref>(2008) Wilson, Doug, Business group says constitutional convention would be too costly, risky, <i>Quincy Herald-Whig</i>, July 15</ref><ref>www.chicagogop.com/home/blogger/drlesmgolden/</ref>  He wrote the field guide for campaign workers which was used in other states also seeking to convene constitutional conventions.  He has consistently fought legislation removing property tax caps in Illinois.<ref> (1995) Schory, Brenda, “Loud protest trails quiet passage of tax cap bill,” ‘’Kane County Chronicle’’, July 7, p. 1</ref> and was selected to be a charter member of the board of the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) in 1994.

He received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Taxpayers United of Illinois umbrella group in 1991 for his taxpayer advocacy efforts.

He received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Taxpayers United of Illinois umbrella group in 1991 for his taxpayer advocacy efforts.